1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«The objective of this study is to test the hypothesis that higher household crowding is a source of chronic stress for Inuit adults that elevates their AL [allostatic load] levels.» (p. 363)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
«Cross-sectional data are from the 2004 ‘Qanuippitaa? How are we?’ Nunavik Inuit Health Survey. […] The target population included all permanent residents from the 14 villages, aged 18 years and older, and excluded non-Inuit households and individuals living in public institutions. […].» (p. 364) Au total, 914 personnes ont participé à l’étude.

Instruments :
Questionnaires

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse statistique

3. Résumé

«Forty per cent of the participants lived in overcrowded dwellings, defined by more than one PPR [person per room]. Living in an overcrowded house can limit the control one has over domestic situations, reduce privacy, potentially create undesirable social interactions and influence parenting behaviours. Lack of control within the home environment can in turn act as a stressor leading to ‘over-arousal’ or ‘stimulus overload’. When cumulative, inadequate housing conditions may contribute to the development of pathophysiologies like cardiovascular diseases and to mortality through sustained physiological responses to chronic environmental stressors. Although measures of AL did not vary by sex, there was however variation in the association between household crowding and AL between women and men. Gender stratification and roles in the household could explain these results. Indeed studies have shown that low control at home was a stronger predictor of anxiety and depression among women and significantly predicted coronary heart diseases among women. As women’s social roles still relate to domestic labour and emotional work, an elevated level of felt demands in more crowded households could lead to a lower sense of control, resulting in higher AL among women. Among men, ‘household demand overload’, for example, the pressure of providing to a large household including several children, may lead to increased stress levels.» (p. 367)